Erg the Blog-Slayer, Round VIII: Guerrilla Press - LP 11/29/19

Ol'random · 2019-11-30 01:57:31 AM

Pvt. Dom,
Lt. Greg,
Sgt. Terrence,
and Cpl. Zolomon, hares.

A few days after Dom's night raid...

It was another day in the swamps. The rain was threatening but held off for now in favour of a cold bite in the air as the hares continued with their mission. The trackers had ensured they had a direction to try but progress was slow not just because of the traps but also simply due to the boggy terrain. Greg had joined a group who were clearing traps as the trackers tried to find a fresh trail to follow. More quiet and serious than he had been at the mountain the Lieutenant was getting on with the job quietly and tapping his cane around what he consisted a suspect bit of ground.

Terrence had decided to go along with the trackers, having become restless in the main camp. The trail Dom had left when he'd come into the camp had lead to more dead ends and pools, with the sporadic morning rain wiping any trace away. That was two days ago, and the sergeant was becoming worried they'd be out here longer than expected. So he stands nearby Greg, poking with a spearbutt at potential traps himself.

Gregorian is getting pretty used to spotting these things and finally his cane finds the trap he was looking for as a rope snaps around the stick, ripping it from Greg's paw and sending it flying as the cane slips back out of it. Waving around his stinging fingers Greg starts to mutter a curse until the cane lands and sets off a pit trap. His ears perk in surprise. A quick glance at Terrence, a long pause and then Greg looks amused. "Heh. Do yah think I can pretend that was intentional?"

There's a long pause as Terrence holds back some laughter, wiping a bit of muck off his spectacles. "No," he says, finally, "Though lucky for you I believe I'm the only one to see that." Which was probably true; the closest scout to them was at least fifteen yards to their left. The patch he'd been poking about in wasn't a trap, thankfully, and the sergeant soon move forwards to poke at were he spots grass under leafs that was too flattened for his liking. He had some skill in tracking and survival craft, and had especially become more wary since his bout dangling upside down on the first day, and his poking was rewarded with the false ground falling into a pit. "I'd thought Dom wasn't the type of beast to be so bloody thorough, sah. Seems every other step there's one."

Gregorian snaps his fingers. "Darn. I'm not goin' tah be able tah do that again for a crowd." he points in the direction of the pit trap, "Poke a path ovah that way, I need tah get my stick back." he frowns a little as another pit is found but nods in agreement "I'm startin' tah wondah if he might be part mole after all the holes he's dug. I tell yah when the toads start tah spread back out they're goin' tah have a hell of a time when they get back ovah this way."

"That actually brings something else to my mind," Terrence grunts as he taps a spongy bit of brown ground with his spear, "If these traps were made for toads, shouldn't they be more," He steps over a small pit of mud, "Dangerous? As in lethal?" Continuing forward, he pokes at another spot, nothing. "To be quite clear, I'm not saying that's a bad thing at all, wot, just that I'm beginning to wonder if all these were indeed made for all of us, as we've yet to take any serious casualties."

Without a stick to poke with Greg falls back a bit to let Terrence go on ahead. "Hrm. Depends if he's intendin' tah take them alive for some reason. He is clearly tryin' tah drive us away of course. His midnight escaped in tah the camp is proof enough for that. I can't tell if that was his first intention with all this though."

Terrence nods. "I see, though one of the first things Dom did when he was free was rip a toad clean in two, which doesn't speak to me as some one who'd want toads alive." So far, the sergeant has found a clear path. "Of course, he may very well be wanting them all alive for more reasons I don't know. That Konner reported that toads were Dom's primary food, wot," with a grimace, he pokes at a spot in front of him, "Which is absolutely disgusting, at least to me. The toads are dead when they make it back to th- wait a moment." The young hare stop short, turning on his heel to face Greg. "Why don't we have Konner lead us to were Dom is? I really can't believe I didn't think of that before, wot!"

Gregorian shrugs first. "I can't explain crazy and Dom is definitely hoverin' around the crazy behaviour" his nose does wrinkle at the thought of eating toad "That is a concernin' habit and one I hope will be cured as soon as we get him back tah the mountain with actual food tah eat." he stops calmly so he doesn't bump in to the sergeant and tilts his head at the idea. "He was runnin' like a banshee had latched tah his tail. Do yah think he knows the way back?"

"Well, no." Terrence admits, "Not likely. But we know what direction he came running like that from. Or at least, we should."

Gregorian sighs quietly as that's what he figured. He would have liked Konner to know. "Anythin' is a help. Perhaps he saw somethin' anyway. A landmark. Rivah, somethin' recognisable. It was a cave wasn't it? So likely closah tah the mountains. It can't be far from here or he wouldn't be able tah check the traps."

Terrence turns around again, starting off once more. "Indeed. It was close enough for us to hear Dom's yell or roar or whateveh that noise was." Almost immediately the sergeant fins another trap, the pit opening up before him. "Woah," scrambling away form the edge, he moves around it. "One would think finding a blinkin' cave in a marsh would be rather easy, wot."

Gregorian nods once, "That's true. He's loud but he's not loud enough-" his paw shoots out as the trap goes off and he goes to grab Terrence's shoulder for fear he's going to fall in but the paw retreats again when he seems fine and Greg continues talking as if nothing important happened as if pit traps are just part of the day now, "Loud enough tah be heard for miles." he gestures at the latest hole in the ground before them "Dom's practically made a tunnel system out here. At this point it may be hardah not tah find a cave."

"I suppose that's true, sah." Terrence says, ignoring the incident as well, "And I certainly have absolutely no idea how he's found the time to dig like this, wot. It boggles the mind." His poking covers a wider area now, and he finds two more traps with his spear. Taking a careful step in between the holes, he taps the ground just in front of him - and stumbles as yet another hole appears. "Bloody-erm," the sergeant grunts, stepping back into the bog, his foot sinking into the cold mush. "Bah!"

Gregorian shakes his head as yet more pits are found. A quick grimace for all the trouble the holes are causing and he offers a paw to the sergeant as his foot disappears in the mud. "Perhaps we're givin' him too much credit and this area is just very unstable. Can't go a step without the ground tryin' tah swallow yah up one way or anothah."

Terrence takes the offered paw. "May-be." He grunts out, hauling himself out of the muck with a plop. "I'd assumed with the air being colder all most areas wold be slightly firmer, but," He looks back at the slowly disappearing hole his foot left in the mud, "That really doesn't seem to be the case..."

Gregorian's pegleg sinks a bit as he helps Terrence out of the mud but thankfully it's considerably easier to pull back out. Which barely makes up for it sinking all the time when the ground gets softer. "Too warm tah freeze, too cold tah dry out I guess." he finally gets to the edge of the pit his cane is in and edges around it. "A little bit of mud nevah hurt anyone right?" he doesn't sound particularly convinced as he crouches down and slides off in to the pit.

"Woah there, sah!" Terrence starts to follow the lieutenant, but thinks better of it, skirting the edges. "The mud might suck you down and get you stuck there, wot!"

The mud does get softer as the water's pooling in the hole. It takes a bit of effort to keep from getting stuck as the mud squelches with every step. "Then yah'd have tah get me out again lad! I'm not leavin' my stick down here tah rust though." he gets to the cane with a bit of work and then wades back to the walls of the pit before he stops for a little think on the best way to get back out again.

"I probably would have to," Terrence grins, "So don't you dare get stuck, sah!" Peering down from were he stands by the edge, the sergeant crouches. "Here," he says, holding down the end of his spear to Greg, "Grab this. I'll try to help pull you out."

Gregorian makes an approving noise and grabs the spear, "Ah, that'll do." between that, using the cane handle to get a grip out of the hole and some scrambling he makes it out again. He's considerably muddier than when he started but it was hard to stay clean in this place. "Much obliged. I'm startin' tah quite miss the baths at the mountain now though I recall that was common when I used tah go out patrollin'." he gestures back the way they came, "Perhaps the trackahs have found somethin' new by now."

Terrence's feet had slid forward when the lieutenant pulled himself out, and he backs away from edge again. "Hopefully." Terrence says, looking around. He'd lost sight of the two nearest trackers. "I'd think somebeast would've come to tell us if they had, however."

Gregorian flicks a bit of the mud off but it makes little difference. "Wishful thinkin'? It feels rathah like we're just stumblin' about in the dark out here. I'm half expectin' tah find out Dom's disguised as a rock or somethin' and watchin' us."

"Well," Terrence begins, tapping a nearby rock with his spear, "Considering he apparently painted himself black last time we saw him, he may very well be, sah. It's a big swamp, and there's quite a bit of ground to cover."

Gregorian hmms and stoops to grab a pebble to throw at another rock. He pauses to stare at it but it doesn't move. "Hrm. Assumin' he's sane enough we're gettin' him tah teach this stuff when we get back. Seems ridiculous a hare his size can hide at all. Seems ridiculous anyone can set this many traps...Dom is just ridiculous." he chuckles.

Terrence would have chuckled as well, had he not found another trap - this time the contraption is more complex, leaving his spear stuck in a rope. "Indeed we should." The sergeant says with a hint of annoyance, even as he tries to pull his weapon free.

Gregorian flinches slightly as the trap's set off but then he just sighs. "Well I'd love tah see someone else in these things instead of us just for a change," he draws the sword out of his cane as he carefully walks off to find the other end of the rope. "Though part of me fears the recruits tryin' some of them out around the mountain."

Once the rope is cut, Terrence holds up the spear. "I'd be more afraid of Dom trying them out in the mountain." Two knots are still wrapped around it, but with one rope cut they easily slip off.

Gregorian gathers up the length of rope in case it'll be useful. "He's already built enough of the darn things tah last a life time. He bettah take a break from it or he'll be the one danglin' by his foot from the ceilin'." The rope gathered he starts to back track again but isn't as careful as he could be. There's another trap guarding the first one and Greg finds himself suddenly launched off the ground before plummeting back to earth with a very heavy thump once his pegleg slips free of the loop of rope.

"Is that a threat I hear?" Terrence chuckles, before dropping his spear to free both paws and kneeling down next to the lieutenant. "Sah," He mutters, looking Greg over, "You alright there?"

Gregorian is for a second out cold before he quietly groans and shifts, rolling over on to his back to lie there for a minute and scrunch his eyes closed, waiting for his head to stop spinning. "Nevahmind. He can't teach. I'm goin' tah kill him." he mutters without much conviction.

Terrence offers a paw to help Greg up, cracking a slight grin. "Right sah. Whateveh you say."

Gregorian accepts the paw up once he's cracked open his eyes enough to see it. Once he's up he's slightly unsteady for a moment and has top stop again and wait for the feeling to pass before he finally squints around looking for the safe path. "I'll bump him down tah recruit aftah, just tah teach him a lesson."

"Daresay majah Varus would have a fit if you did that, wot!" Terrence laughs, picking up his spear. "Eithah way, we still need to find the bloody hare."

Gregorian rubs his head as he very cautiously starts walking. "Mm. Well we'll see how he feels once he's been thrown all ovah by one of these things."

Terrence pokes once more in front of himself, setting off yet another trap. "At this rate we might not have any more of these to toss him in, sah."

Gregorian starts tapping again but he's heading back towards camp so most of the ground has been covered and cleared of traps. "We can only hope. Dom can't hide behind his traps forevah. He's comin' back tah the mountain and stoppin' all this whethah he likes it or not."

"I hope so, Sah," Terrence says, opting to remain out for a little while more, "I hope so." He mutters, looking up at the sky. Some of the scouts had returned to the camp, waving to the lieutenant as he comes near.

Grouchy Greg demands it, there is no room for argument. He vaguely salutes to the scouts though his course is set for a break and some lunch. "Anythin' tah report?" he questions on the way in to camp.

"Sah," One salutes, "Barely anythin' more than more traps an' mud, wot." The others seem to have the same to report.

Terrence, for his part, narrows his eyes as he stares up at the cloudy sky, before turning and heading back to camp himself.

Gregorian hrms and nods slowly. "Anothah day in paradise then. Carry on." he says to the scouts before he heads for his tent to get a fresh uniform that's not covered in mud.

Terrence had just come back in time to hear that last comment. "Paradise, eh?" He asks, incredulous. The others simply shrug.

Just on the outskirts of camp, there seems to be an odd feeling floating about...a feeling as if someone is there, watching the entire camp, though upon first glance there is no one visible there. If one were to take a closer look a few moments later, however, they might see a huge, hulking form standing there at full height, between two of the trees bordering the campsite. It seemed to materialize out of nowhere, a ghost amongst the slimy mud and bubbling mire. A giant shadow, more or less, though shadows do not possess the pair of absolutely piercing blue eyes that now stare out at the makeshift camp that had been set up. And that's all the figure really does, for the time being...stand there, and stare. He is standing so still that one might mistake him for a statue, or for a rather unusual tree, but alas...it is a rather unnerving sight for anyone who happens to be looking in that direction.

Terrence doesn't see him, especially with the gathering clouds, nor does most of the camp. However, one poor private does, and a scream rings out. "GHOST, GHOST!"

Despite the scream of that private who first spotted him, Dom...or Erg...doesn't move. His head turns slowly, those intense eyes falling upon the source of that scream, and a very small shadow of a smile tugs at the corner of his muzzle. Aside from that, there is no other movement as the massive hare merely stands there. His presence is quite imposing, at least enough to put a bit of a fright into those privates who hadn't actually seen him before, either at the mountain or throughout the whole current ordeal. Eventually, an arm slowly lifts, and the hare points a paw in the direction of the mountain. He utters one word, a word which booms and echoes about the marshes. "...LEAVE!"

Zolomon happens to come out at this time, doing a short walk around camp and comes to a stop when he hears Dom. He looks in that direction and decides to walk over. "Dom?...H..Hallo?" He is unsure what he is doing, maybe helping and maybe not but he can try and he walks a little closer. "Hey..Dom..remember me...ya friend?"

Terrence had run over by now, trying to get an explanation from the hysterical private. "What do you mean, ghost? There aren't-" When the word reaches his ears, the sergeant turns on his heel. "DOMINIK KASIMIR," He barks out, a sudden anger rising up in him, "IF YOU DON'T COME HERE RIGHT THIS BLOODY MOMENT, I SWEAR YOU'LL REGRET IT!"

Dominik's eyes shift down towards Zolomon, the gigantic hare staring down at him as he speaks. He is silent for a long while, merely staring at Zol with those icy blue eyes, unblinking. Finally, the hare points a paw at him. "YOU. Should not...be here. GO." His voice has seemingly adopted a soft rasp that lies beneath his usual booming tone, making said voice a little more unnerving. As Terrence shouts at him, Erg's head turns back in his direction, and it's Terrence's turn to get that stare. He points a paw at him, as well. "LEAVE. You...are not vanted here." He still stands there, unmoving.

Zolomon frowns and then clears his throat, he doesn't yell he just stays calm, "Now..Dom...chap..ya be missed at the mountain, and we came to look for you, our friend..we hares we are all family and family is thar for each other. We all love ya, and miss ya Dom...we don't want to leave a fellow hare behind"He steps a little closer to the large hare. "Please listen..and think a bit, we need you, his Lordship needs you...we are not the same without ya."

Terrence glowers back, too livid to be fazed, channeling all the past drill sergeants he's ever seen. "You're not wanted here either, wot. You're wanted back at Salamandastron, bucko!" The sergeant's not thinking through all his words, but Dom's caused a lot of harm. "Zolomon!" He snaps, "Get back here. He's clearly not a fan, wot!"

More than likely, Zolomon stepping as close to Erg as he does is a mistake, and the smaller hare pays for it as Erg reaches down that hefty paw, gripping Zol by the front of his uniform and lifting him slowly so that he is nose to nose with him. Being that close, Zol can see into those eyes, and he can see that the massive hare is certainly not all there. "I said...GO." Erg rumbles, his voice holding no amount of sympathy or warmth. His eyes narrow, before letting Zol drop to the ground. Attention shifting back over to Terrence, Erg stares at him as he speaks. "Erg knows...vere he is vanted. Erg knows...vere he is needed. Is not...at big mountain. GO...HOME." He takes a step backwards, though that unnerving gaze remains on Terrence.

Zolomon tenses a little as his good ear droops as he looks into Dom's eyes and he gulps and lets out an oof as he is droped. He stares at Dom and frowns. "Dom....." He says quietly, he backs up a little now and keeps an eye on Dom now, he does glance back at the Sergeant finally, then back to Dom.

"Ah, hell." The sergeant mutters as Zolomon is grabbed, here we go again. "Look, Dom, or," Terrence, pauses, trying to remember the word, "Erg, at least stop using traps - there aren't any bloody toads left to catch so you've only been getting fellow hares!"

Dominik lets out a rumble and a deep snarl as he glares down at Zolomon. It appears to bother the large hare whenever his previous name is used. "Am not Dom. Dom...is gone. Am Erg." His head snaps up as Terrence makes that mistake as well, and the other hare gets a growl as well. "Lies. Is -plenty- of toads. Toads there..." He points behind Terrence. "There..." he points down at Zolomon. "There." He points in the direction of the tents. "Alvays. Toads, everywhere." His arm lowers, paws clenching at his sides. "Erg vil eliminate. Erg vil kill. Til not vun left. Not...VUN!" He reaches towards a nearby tree, which happens to be a mere sapling. He uproots it with one jerk of his arm, tugging it from the ground as he throws it in Terrence's general direction. "Traps not needed. Kill vil bare paws..." he growls.

Jumping back to just barely avoid being hit by the sapling, an idea comes to Terrence's mind. "Bare paws, you say, eh Erg?" The anger is gone, replaced with something almost... cocky, which is very out of the ordinary for the usually pragmatic sergeant. "Why don't you come here and try it, Dommy boy?" He plaster a huge grin on his face, making a rude gesture as he steps just outside of the camp. "If he comes for me," He whispers to the hares behind him, "Use nets to capture him, wot. OI, ERGY!" Back to yelling. "COME HERE AND DEAL WITH THIS TOAD, OR ARE YOU A BLINKIN' COWARD?"
It should be noted that the sergeant is very, VERY aware of how this could go very, very bad for him if anything goes wrong.

Zolomon frowns as he watches the Sargent and wonders if he is starting to go insane as well. A glance at Dom and he frowns more. "Why..Erg?" He will at least distract him maybe?

In most cases, Erg would have let those petty insults and the goading simply go right over his head, and that is fully his intention as he stares daggers over at the taunting Terrence. It's when he calls him 'Dommy boy' when that little thread snaps within his already over-exerted mind, and the gigantic hare feels rage bubbling up within his massive chest. His paws continue to clench and unclench at his sides, and he begins to visibly tremble and shake. "Eees. Not. COVARD!!!" he roars, and from that it is quite obvious that he roar from the other day was indeed Erg. Still, something else within his mind tells him that it is more than likely a trap, and it is almost like a pair of invisible arms hold the large hare back from going after Terrence. Zolomon more than likely should have taken the ample opportunity to get out of Erg's range, however he is still there, and thus Dom reaches down to try and grab the unfortunate hare once again. His gaze lifts to Terrence, and an unsettling grin flicks across his muzzle. "Eees toad, right here. Not need...to move..." he rumbles, eyes shifting down to Zolomon.

Zolomon likely should of ran, yes...but he looked to the Sergeant, "Sur..ya shouldn't do..." He is off the ground as he struggles and panics now as he speaks "Do...Erg..Erg wait..I am a friend, please!!" Is he gonna kill him? No he wouldn't kill a fellow hare..would he? He is unsure and he already knows Dom is fairly strong, heck he and Ciocan likely could have a good battle sometime, ok more panic as it seems his life is gonna flash before his eyes, he shivers now. He will not panic, he will not...heck with it he is panic mode now. "Let me go!! Don't kill me!!!"

The curse that escapes Terrence in that moment seems to be fast becoming a favorite of his, and finally all the irritation the past week had built up comes out "ZOLOMON YOU BLOODY USELESS TWIT TRY TO RUN! HE'S NOT GONNA TALK!" Giving up rather quickly on any hope for the corporal, the sergeant changes tactics. "Oi, Dommy-boy, Dommy-boy!" He calls in a sing-song voice as he runs forward, at the risk of seeming bonkers to the other hares, "You gonna run away, Dommy-boy?" Not exactly even a decent rhyme, but he hopes it might work. "Come on Dommy-boy, I'm the toad you want!"

Dominik bodily lifts Zolomon off the ground just as easily as if he was that sapling he'd just uprooted a few minutes ago. Holding the unfortunate hare over his head, his gaze shifts back over towards Terrence, who is firing those taunts at him rapid-fire. Eyes burning with rage, he giant hare bodily lifts Zolomon over his head effortlessly, a snarl rumbling deep within that massive chest. With a step forward, he launches Zol right in the direction of Terrence. "GO....HOME!" he growls, before he takes the opportunity to turn and slip back off into the marsh, the large hare once again disappearing just as swiftly as he'd appeared.

Out of everything that could have happened, Terrence certainly wasn't expecting this. All too slowly, the sergeant tries to dodge, not really taking much care to try and catch Zolomon, and gets hit right in the chest by the corporal. Air knocked out of Terrence and Zolomon knocked out cold, the two hares hit the ground with a thud and a plop (with mud leaping around them). A low groan comes from the sergeant from under the now dead-weight that was corporal. Some of the hares from the camp come out, cautiously, to peer down at them, and Terrence shoves Zolomon off him, spitting out mud and plants as he tries to get back on his feet. He staggers, shaking his head. "Bah..." EVERYTHING HURTS. "How in th'hell are you so bloody heavy, corporal?" Terrence asks with a bewildered stare at the unconscious hare.

yes that title is a pun

Last edited by Ol'random (2019-11-30 01:58:57 AM)

Redwall MUCK Forum

Redwall MUCK is an interactive, multiplayer text game set in Brian Jacques' Redwall universe.

Visit RWMUCK.ORG for more info!

#1 2019-11-30 01:57:31 AM

Erg the Blog-Slayer, Round VIII: Guerrilla Press - LP 11/29/19

Board footer